July 27, 2011—The Certified Automotive Parts Association (CAPA) on Wednesday announced it is establishing a new certification standard for aftermarket cooling parts including radiators, condensers, cooling fans and fan shrouds.
CAPA expects to complete the cooling parts standard prior to the end of the year.
CAPA evaluated car company brand and independently manufactured radiators. The results indicated that a majority of independently produced radiators were not comparable to their car company brand counterparts, according to CAPA.
“There is wide-ranging variability in the performance of important radiator functions,” said Debbie Klouser, director of operations for CAPA. “By establishing a CAPA standard specifically for cooling parts, the industry will have the means to identify independently produced parts of the highest quality.”
CAPA is collaborating with a variety of technical experts to establish requirements for the new standard. The standard will compare critical performance elements, such as leak resistance, pressure and flow, pressure cycle durability, corrosion resistance, general construction and heat transfer characteristics.
“Cooling parts such as radiators are dynamic and can be more complex than other collision repair parts such as hoods or fenders,” said Bob Anderson, chairman of the CAPA’s board of directors. “However, just like hoods and fenders, shops and consumers cannot make an informed decision about the quality of these parts simply by looking at them. This is why CAPA is developing another new standard.”
Major manufacturers of cooling parts have expressed interest in participating in the CAPA standard development process, according to CAPA. Visit capacertified.org for more information.
